NFL playoffs, 1994-95

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The NFL playoffs following the 1994 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXIX.

Seed	AFC	NFC
Playoff seeds
1	Pittsburgh Steelers (Central winner)	San Francisco 49ers (West winner)
2	San Diego Chargers (West winner)	Dallas Cowboys (East winner)
3	Miami Dolphins (East winner)	Minnesota Vikings (Central winner)
4	Cleveland Browns	Green Bay Packers
5	New England Patriots	Detroit Lions
6	Kansas City Chiefs	Chicago Bears

[edit] Wild Card playoffs

[edit] December 31, 1994

[edit] NFC: Green Bay Packers 16, Detroit Lions 12

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	0	3	9	12
Packers	7	3	3	3	16

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST
Game weather: 31 °F (partly cloudy)
TV announcers (ABC): Brent Musburger and Dick Vermeil
Referee: Gary Lane
Game Attendance: 58,125

Starting Quarterbacks:

Detroit Lions - Dave Krieg 17
Green Bay Packers - Brett Favre 4

The Packers defense held Lions running back Barry Sanders to -1 rushing yards and held Detroit to 12 points. Green Bay scored first on running back Dorsey Levens's 3-yard touchdown. The Packers later led 13-3 going into the fourth quarter after Packers kicker Chris Jacke made 2 field goals and Lions kicker Jason Hanson made 1. In the final period, Detroit quarterback Dave Krieg threw a 3-yard pass to wide receiver Brett Perriman, cutting the deficit to 13-10. However, Jacke made a 28-yard field goal with 5:35 left to make it 16-10. The Lions reached the Green Bay 11-yard line with 2:00 to play, but Packers linebacker Bryce Paup sacked Krieg for a 6-yard loss. Then on fourth down and 14 from the 17-yard line, Detroit wide receiver Herman Moore caught Krieg's pass at the back of the end zone, but came out of bounds past the end line. Afterwards, Green Bay ran out the rest of the clock, giving up an intentional safety on the last play of the contest.

Scoring
- GB - Levens 3 run (Jacke kick)
- GB - FG Jacke 51
- DET - FG Hanson 38
- GB - FG Jacke 32
- DET - Perriman 3 pass from Krieg (Hanson kick)
- GB - FG Jacke 28
- DET - Safety, Hentrich ran out of end zone

[edit] AFC: Miami Dolphins 27, Kansas City Chiefs 17

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	14	3	0	0	17
Dolphins	7	10	10	0	27

at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida

Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 72 °F (clear)
TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf
Referee: Jerry Markbreit
Game Attendance: 67,487

Starting Quarterbacks:

Kansas City Chiefs - Joe Montana 19
Miami Dolphins - Dan Marino 13

After a 17-17 tie at halftime, the Dolphins forced two turnovers in the second half to stop any Chiefs scoring threat. Both teams scored on each of their first 3 possessions of the game. Kansas City quarterback Joe Montana, playing in his last NFL game before retiring, threw two touchdowns in the first half: a 1-yard completion to tight end Derrick Walker and a 57-yarder to running back Kimble Anders. Meanwhile, Kansas City kicker Lin Elliot made a 21-yard field goal. For Miami in the first half, running back Bernie Parmalee scored a 1-yard touchdown, quarterback Dan Marino threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ronnie Williams, and kicker Pete Stoyanovich made a 40-yard field goal.

The Dolphins then took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 64 yards to score on wide receiver Irving Fryar's 7-yard touchdown reception. Stoyanovich then kicked a 40-yard field goal to give Miami a 27-17 lead. Early in the fourth quarter, Dolphins defensive back J.B. Brown intercepted a pass from Montana at the goal line. Then with 7:31 left in the game, Dolphins defensive back Michael Stewart wrestled the ball away from Chiefs running back Marcus Allen at the Miami 34-yard line with 7:31 left to stop a second Kansas City scoring threat.

Montana finished his final postseason game with 314 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception.

Scoring
- KC - D. Walker 1 pass from Montana (Elliott kick)
- MIA - Parmalee 1 run (Stoyanovich kick)
- KC - Anders 57 pass from Montana (Elliott kick)
- MIA - FG Stoyanovich 40
- KC - FG Elliott 21
- MIA - R. Williams 1 pass from Marino (Stoyanovich kick)
- MIA - Fryar 7 pass from Marino (Stoyanovich kick)
- MIA - FG Stoyanovich 40

[edit] January 1, 1995

[edit] AFC: Cleveland Browns 20, New England Patriots 13

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	10	0	3	0	13
Browns	3	7	7	3	20

at Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: 38 °F (cloudy)
TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy
Referee: Bernie Kukar
Game Attendance: 77,452

Starting Quarterbacks:

New England Patriots - Drew Bledsoe 11
Cleveland Browns - Vinny Testaverde 12

The Browns intercepted 3 passes from New England quarterback Drew Bledsoe and halted attempted comeback in the final minutes of the game to clinch the victory. Cleveland scored first on kicker Matt Stover's 30-yard field goal, but New England responded with Bledsoe's 5-yard touchdown pass to running back Leroy Thompson. The Browns then scored on Mark Carrier's 5-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Vinny Testaverde, but Patriots kicker Matt Bahr made a 23-yard field goal before halftime to tie the game, 10-10. In the third period, Cleveland running back Leroy Hoard scored on a 10-yard rushing touchdown. Then, Stover made a 21-yard field goal, giving the Browns a 20-10 lead with 3:36 left in the game. However, New England put together a 63-yard drive to score on Bahr's 33-yard field goal with 1:33 remaining. New England then recovered the ensuing onside kick, but after gaining a first down, Bledsoe threw 4 straight incompletions and the ball was turned back to Cleveland on downs.

Scoring
- CLE - FG Stover 30
- NE - Thompson 13 pass from Bledsoe (Bahr kick)
- CLE - Carrier 5 pass from Testaverde (Stover kick)
- NE - FG Bahr 23
- CLE - Hoard 10 run (Stover kick)
- CLE - FG Stover 21
- NE - FG Bahr 33

[edit] NFC: Chicago Bears 35, Minnesota Vikings 18

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	14	7	14	35
Vikings	3	6	3	6	18

at Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: Indoors (Domed stadium)
TV announcers (FOX): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Referee: Red Cashion
Game Attendance: 60,347

Starting Quarterbacks:

Chicago Bears - Steve Walsh 4
Minnesota Vikings - Warren Moon 1

Bears quarterback Steve Walsh passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns as he led Chicago to a win. However, the Bears committed two turnovers on their first two possession, leading to Vikings kicker Fuad Reveiz's 29-yard field goal to open the scoring. But Chicago scored two unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter: running back Lewis Tillman's 1-yard run and Walsh's 9-yard completion to tight end Keith Jennings. Minnesota wide receiver Cris Carter caught a 4-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Warren Moon with 19 seconds left in the first half, cutting the score to 14-9 (the two-point conversion failed). In the third period, Bears running back Raymont Harris scored a 29-yard touchdown before Reveiz made a 48-yard field goal. Then in the fourth quarter, Walsh threw a 21-yard touchdown completion to wide receiver Jeff Graham. Moon later threw an 11-yard touchdown to running back Amp Lee, but Chicago defensive back Kevin Minniefield returned a fumble 48 yards for a touchdown to close out the scoring.

Scoring
- MIN - FG Reveiz 29
- CHI - Tillman 1 run (Butler kick)
- CHI - K. Jennings 9 pass from Walsh (Butler kick)
- MIN - C. Carter 4 pass from Moon (pass failed)
- CHI - R. Harris 29 run (Butler kick)
- MIN - FG Reveiz 48
- CHI - Graham 21 pass from Walsh (Butler kick)
- MIN - A. Lee 11 pass from Moon (pass failed)
- CHI - Minniefield 48 fumble return (Butler kick)

[edit] Byes

AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers
NFC: San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys

[edit] Divisional playoffs

[edit] January 7, 1995

[edit] AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 29, Cleveland Browns 9

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	3	0	6	9
Steelers	3	21	3	2	29

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: 29 °F (light rain)
TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Paul Maguire
Referee: Bob McElwee
Game Attendance: 58,185

Starting Quarterbacks:

Cleveland Browns - Vinny Testaverde 12
Pittsburgh Steelers - Neil O'Donnell 14

Aided by running back Barry Foster's 133 rushing yards, the Steelers controlled the game by scoring on their first three possessions and holding the ball for 42:27. Pittsburgh jumped to a 17-0 lead by the second quarter with a 39-field goal by kicker Gary Anderson, quarterback Neil O'Donnell's 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Eric Green, and running back John L. Williams' 26-yard touchdown run. Browns kicker Matt Stover made a 22-yard field goal to cut the lead, 17-3, but in the closing seconds of the period, Steelers defensive back Tim McKyer intercepted a pass from Cleveland quarterback Vinny Testaverde and returned it to the Browns 6-yard line. O'Donnell then completed a 9-yard touchdown to wide receiver Yancey Thigpen with 16 seconds left in the first half. In the final period, Testaverde completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keenan McCardell, but the Cleveland quarterback was then sacked in the end zone by Pittsburgh defensive back Carnell Lake for a safety.

Scoring
- PIT - FG Anderson 39
- PIT - E. Green 2 pass from O'Donnell (Anderson kick)
- PIT - J.L. Williams 26 run (Anderson kick)
- CLE - FG Stover 22
- PIT - Thigpen 9 pass from O'Donnell (Anderson kick)
- PIT - FG Anderson 40
- CLE - McCardell 20 pass from Testaverde (pass failed)
- PIT - Lake sacked Testaverde in end zone

[edit] NFC: San Francisco 49ers 44, Chicago Bears 15

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	3	0	0	12	15
49ers	7	23	7	7	44

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco

Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: 54 °F (rain)
TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton and Matt Millen
Referee: Howard Roe
Game Attendance: 64,644

Starting Quarterbacks:

Chicago Bears - Steve Walsh 4
San Francisco 49ers - Steve Young 8

The 49ers scored on 6 consecutive possession to crush the Bears, 44-15. Chicago scored first after a fumble by San Francisco tight end Brent Jones set up kicker Kevin Butler's 39-yard field goal. However, the 49ers then scored 37 unanswered points, including 23 in the second quarter. San Francisco rookie running back William Floyd scored three touchdowns from 2, 4, and 1 yard out. 49ers quarterback Steve Young threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jones, and ran for a 6-yard score. San Francisco kicker Doug Brien also added a 36-yard field goal. The Bears eventually scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the game was already out of reach and the 49ers had already replaced their starters with their backups.

Scoring
- CHI - FG Butler 39
- SF - Floyd 2 run (Brian kick)
- SF - Jones 8 pass from Young (kick failed)
- SF - Floyd 4 run (Brian kick)
- SF - FG Brian 36
- SF - Young 6 run (Brian kick)
- SF - Floyd 1 run (Brian kick)
- CHI - Flanigan 2 pass from Walsh (pass failed)
- SF - Walker 1 run (Brian kick)
- CHI - Tillman 1 run (pass failed)

[edit] January 8, 1995

[edit] NFC: Dallas Cowboys 35, Green Bay Packers 9

	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	3	6	0	0	9
Cowboys	14	14	0	7	35

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST
Game weather: 48 °F (clear)
TV announcers (FOX): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Referee: Ed Hochuli
Game Attendance: 64,745

Starting Quarterbacks:

Green Bay Packers - Brett Favre 4
Dallas Cowboys - Troy Aikman 8

Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman led his team to victory by completing 23 out of 30 passes for 337 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver Alvin Harper caught 2 passes for 108 yards, including a 94 yard touchdown reception that broke the NFL playoff record for the longest play from scrimmage. Wide receiver Michael Irvin recorded 6 receptions for 111 yards, while tight end Scott Galbraith scored on a 1-yard catch. Dallas running back Emmitt Smith recorded a 5-yard touchdown, while running back Blair Thomas scored from 1 yard and 2 yards out. For the Packers, kicker Chris Jacke made a 50-yard field goal while running back Edgar Bennett scored on a 1-yard touchdown.

Scoring
- DAL - Smith 5 run (Boniol kick)
- GB - FG Jacke 50
- DAL - Harper 94 pass from Aikman (Boniol kick)
- DAL - Thomas 1 run (Boniol kick)
- GB - Bennett 1 run (pass failed)
- DAL - Galbraith 1 pass from Aikman (Boniol kick)
- DAL - Thomas 2 run (Boniol kick)

[edit] AFC: San Diego Chargers 22, Miami Dolphins 21

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	7	14	0	0	21
Chargers	0	6	9	7	22

at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego

Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: 60 °F (clear)
TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy
Referee: Johnny Grier
Game Attendance: 63,381

Starting Quarterbacks:

Miami Dolphins - Dan Marino 13
San Diego Chargers - Stan Humphries 12

The Chargers overcame a 21-6 halftime deficit by limiting the Dolphins offense to only 16 plays in the second half. Miami quarterback Dan Marino threw 3 touchdowns in the first half: two to tight end Keith Jackson for 8 and 9 yards, and a 16-yarder to wide receiver Mike Williams. San Diego could only counter with two field goals by kicker John Carney. But in the third quarter, Chargers defensive lineman Reuben Davis tackled Dolphins running back Bernie Parmalee in the end zone for a safety. San Diego then took the ensuing free kick and marched 54 yards to score on running back Natrone Means's 24-yard touchdown. The Chargers later took the lead, 22-21, with 35 seconds left with quarterback Stan Humphries's 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mark Seay. Miami kicker Pete Stoyanovich then attempted the game-winning 48-yard field goal on the final play of the game, but his kick was short.

Scoring
- MIA - K. Jackson 8 pass from Marino (Stoyanovich kick)
- SD - FG Carney 20
- MIA - K. Jackson 9 pass from Marino (Stoyanovich kick)
- SD - FG Carney 21
- MIA - M. Williams 16 pass from Marino (Stoyanovich kick)
- SD - Safety, R. Davis tackled Parmalee in end zone
- SD - Means 24 run (Carney kick)
- SD - Seay 8 pass from Humphries (Carney kick)

[edit] Conference Championships

[edit] January 15, 1995

[edit] AFC: San Diego Chargers 17, Pittsburgh Steelers 13

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	3	7	7	17
Steelers	7	3	3	0	13

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: 59 °F (fog with heavy rain)
TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy
Referee: Gerald Austin
Game Attendance: 61,545

Starting Quarterbacks:

San Diego Chargers - Stan Humphries 12
Pittsburgh Steelers - Neil O'Donnell 14

The Chargers scored 14 unanswered points in the second half to upset the heavily favored Steelers. Although Pittsburgh held advantages in total plays (80–47), total offensive yards (415–226), and time of possession (37:13–22:47), it was San Diego who made the big plays. The Steelers scored first on quarterback Neil O'Donnell's 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver John Williams. Then after the two teams exchanged field goals in the second quarter, Pittsburgh kicker Gary Anderson made a 23-yard field goal to give his team a 13-3 advantage.

Midway through the third period, Chargers quarterback Stan Humphries faked a handoff, fooling the Steelers defensive backs long enough to find tight end Alfred Pupunu wide open to complete a 43-yard touchdown. With 5:13 left in the game, Humphries threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tony Martin, who out-jumped defensive back Tim McKyer to make the catch and give the Chargers a 17-13 lead. Pittsburgh then marched from their own 17-yard line to the San Diego 3 to put themselves in position for a potential winning touchdown. However on fourth down, Chargers linebacker Dennis Gibson sealed the victory by tipping away O'Donnell's pass intended for running back Barry Foster.

Scoring
- PIT - J.L. Williams 16 pass from O'Donnell (Anderson kick)
- SD - FG Carney 20
- PIT - FG Anderson 39
- PIT - FG Anderson 23
- SD - Pupunu 43 pass from Humphries (Carney kick)
- SD - T. Martin 43 pass from Humphries (Carney kick)

[edit] NFC: San Francisco 49ers 38, Dallas Cowboys 28

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	7	7	7	28
49ers	21	10	7	0	38

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco

Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: 50 °F (partly cloudy);
TV announcers (FOX): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Referee: Dick Hantak
Game Attendance: 69,125

Starting Quarterbacks:

Dallas Cowboys - Troy Aikman 8
San Francisco 49ers - Steve Young 8

This was the third consecutive season that both the Cowboys and the 49ers met in the NFC Championship Game, with Dallas winning the first two conference title games. San Francisco quarterback Steve Young still faced the pressure of "never being able to win the big ones", while Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman entered the game with a 7-0 win-loss record as a starter in the playoffs.

Although the Cowboys eventually held a 451-294 advantage in total offensive yards, the 49ers converted 3 turnovers into 3 touchdowns in the first quarter enroute to the 38-28 victory. On the third play of the game, San Francisco cornerback Eric Davis intercepted Aikman's pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown. Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin lost a fumble on the next Dallas possession, setting up a 29-yard touchdown pass from Young to running back Ricky Watters, who eluded several Cowboys defenders high stepping his way down the sideline en route to the goal line in spectacular showboating fashion. Dallas returner Kevin Williams then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, San Francisco kicker Doug Brien recovering the ball at the Cowboys 35-yard line, and running back William Floyd scored on a 1-yard touchdown to give his team a 21-0 lead with 7:33 left in the first quarter.

A 44-yard touchdown pass from Aikman to Irvin cut the lead 21-7 going into the second quarter. Brien then kicked a 34-yard field goal, but Dallas countered with a 4-yard rushing touchdown by running back Emmitt Smith. In the closing minutes of the first half, Aikman threw 3 straight incompletions, and a short punt by the Cowboys set up Young's 28-yard touchdown completion to All-Pro wide receiver Jerry Rice (which during the halftime show, Terry Bradshaw said it was one of the best passes he had ever seen), who made a diving catch in the back left-corner of the end zone with 8 seconds remaining in the first half.

In the third quarter, Smith scored on a 1-yard touchdown, but was countered with Young's 3-yard rushing touchdown. In the final period, Smith, who compiled 24 yards, departed with an injured hamstring. Aikman then completed a 10-yard touchdown to Irvin in the final period, but Dallas could not score again. Although Aikman broke an NFC Championship Game record with 380 yards passing, and Irvin also broke an NFC Championship Game record with 192 receiving yards, ultimately the first quarter turnovers were too much to overcome.

Scoring
- SF - Davis 44 interception return (Brian kick)
- SF - Watters 29 pass from Young (Brian kick)
- SF - Floyd 1 run (Brian kick)
- DAL - Irvin 44 pass from Aikman (Boniol kick)
- SF - FG Brian 34
- DAL - Smith 4 run (Boniol kick)
- SF - Rice 28 pass from Young (Brian kick)
- DAL - Smith 1 run (Boniol kick)
- SF - Young 3 run (Brian kick)
- DAL - Irvin 10 pass from Aikman (Boniol kick)

[edit] Super Bowl

Further information: Super Bowl XXIX

San Francisco 49ers (NFC) 49, San Diego Chargers (AFC) 26, at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida

[edit] Bracket

Wild Card Playoffs			Divisional Playoffs			Conference Championships			Super Bowl XXIX

6	Kansas City	17
3	Miami	27
			3	Miami	21

			2	San Diego	22



						2	San Diego	17
AFC
						1	Pittsburgh	13
5	New England	13

4	Cleveland	20
			4	Cleveland	9

			1	Pittsburgh	29



									A2	San Diego	26

									N1	San Francisco	49
5	Detroit	12

4	Green Bay	16
			4	Green Bay	9

			2	Dallas	35



						2	Dallas	28
NFC
						1	San Francisco	38
6	Chicago	35

3	Minnesota	18
			6	Chicago	15

			1	San Francisco	44

[edit] References

Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)
The Sporting News Complete Super Bowl Book 1995 (ISBN 0-89204-523-X)

National Football League playoffs